10 Daily Habits of Exceptionally Happy People

If you get decent value from making to-do lists, you'll get huge returns -- in productivity, in improved relationships, and in your personal well-being -- from adding these items to your not to-do list: Every day, make these commitments to yourself. I promise your day – and your life – will go a little better.
  
1. "I will not blame other people – for anything."

Employees make mistakes. Vendors don't deliver on time. Potential customers never sign. You blame them for your problems.

But you are also to blame. Maybe you didn't provide enough training, build in enough of a buffer, or asked for too much too soon. Take responsibility when things go wrong instead of blaming others -- then you focus on doing things better or smarter next time. And when you get better or smarter, you also get happier.

2. "I will not check my phone while I'm talking to someone."

You've looked away. You’ve done the, "Wait, let me answer this text..." thing. Maybe you didn't even say, "Wait." You just stopped talking, stopped paying attention, and did it. Want to be that person everyone loves because they make you feel, when they're talking to you, like you're the most important person in the world? Stop checking your phone. Other people will feel better about you – and you’ll feel better about yourself.

3."I will not multitask during a meeting."

The easiest way to be the smartest person in the room is to be the person who pays the most attention to the room. You'll be amazed by what you can learn, both about the topic of the meeting and about the people in the meeting if you stop multitasking and start paying close attention. You'll flush out and understand hidden agendas, you'll spot opportunities to build bridges, and you'll find ways to make yourself indispensable to the people who matter.

4."I will not interrupt."

Interrupting isn't just rude. When you interrupt someone what you're really saying is, "I'm not listening to you so I can understand what you're saying; I'm listening to you so I can decide what I want to say." Want people to like you? Listen to what they say. Focus on what they say. Ask questions to make sure you understand what they say. They'll love you for it -- and you'll love how that makes you feel.

Read the full article online...

10 Phrases Remarkably Unsuccessful People Always Use

By: John Brandon

I've spent some time around unsuccessful people.

Most of them live in a bubble of hopelessness trying to figure out how to break out of their cell (or cubicle). It's sad. One person I know is so unhappy and stuck that he seems to always be moving 

backward, not forward--faltering so much in his lack of productivity that it's almost comical. Being around unsuccessful people is never fun.

If you listen to folks who can't seem to push ahead in their career or who have never started a company or led large groups of people, they all seem to mimic the same speech patterns. They talk the same language. Here are the 10 phrases they always use. Spot this negative talk in others (or in yourself), and you'll find the wrench in your business's growth.

1. "That's impossible"

The most unsuccessful people are always pointing out what is not possible. "Oh, we can't make an app like that because it will compete too much with Tumblr" or "That new Bluetooth speaker won't generate any sales because there are too many on the market already." They live in a world of impossibilities; they have a can't-do attitude. And they are sinking the ship of success.

2. "I can do it all myself"

When you hear someone on your team or a colleague insisting how she can finish a project or how he can complete the work better without any help from other employees, take note: That person is going to slow things down and is ruining the project. He or she will not create an atmosphere of success but has only his or her ambition in mind. Ironically enough, unsuccessful people are always those who push their own agenda and don't see the value of teamwork. That's the very thing that ruins their career.

3. "I have a problem with that"

Nitpickers never prosper. I remember going to meetings in my corporate career with dozens of people sitting at tables in a big room. Inevitably, someone would always stand up and start venting about some highly specific pet peeve in front of the entire crowd. He or she should have started wearing a sign that said "unsuccessful" to the meeting. He or she found one problem and then overfocused on it to bring the whole team down.

4. "Don't forget the details"

People who are really unsuccessful are crippled by their task list. The most successful people are those who see the goal and know how to get there. Most important, they know that the details on a project are a means to an end. Finishing a task list is not a sign of success; creating a lasting company that makes an outstanding product is.

5. "I like my own idea"

Have you noticed how people at work sometimes like only their own ideas? It is a sign of selfishness and shows an inability to embrace the team objective. It also spells disaster. Those who like and promote only their own ideas are severely limited, because none of us can achieve success with only our own ideas. Imagine trying to build a company by never entertaining any other ideas. Collaboration always propels a company forward.

Read the full article from INC online...